Long live the 1982 Braves in baseball history.
The team led by Dale Murphy and Bob Horner kept a share of the major-league record for best start to a season when the Tampa Bay Rays lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 Friday night.
The Rays started the season 13-0, tying the mark set by the 1982 Braves and equaled by the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers.
The 1982 Braves were owned by Ted Turner, managed by Joe Torre and featured Murphy (36 homers, 109 RBIs), Horner (32 homers and 97 RBIs) and pitcher Phil Niekro (17-4, 3.61 ERA). Other key Braves included outfielders Brett Butler and Claudell Washington, first baseman Chris Chambliss, catcher Bruce Benedict, pitchers Gene Garber and Rick Camp, and infielders Glenn Hubbard and Rafael Ramirez.
The Braves lost to the Reds 2-1 in their 14th game and finished the regular season with a 89-73 record and won the West Division. They were swept by the Cardinals in three games in the playoffs.
The only longer opening streak in major-league baseball history is a 20-0 mark by the 1884 St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association.
Tampa Bay (13-1) trailed at the end of an inning just six times entering Friday. Against the Blue Jays they trailed after all nine.
The Rays’ Colin Poche forced in two runs with bases-loaded walks and second baseman Brandon Lowe made a key error in a four-run Toronto fifth inning.
George Springer hit a leadoff home run and Bo Bichette had five hits and an RBI for the Blue Jays.
Catcher Christian Bethancourt is the only former Brave on the Rays’ roster.
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
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